The present invention relates to pump lids for use with containers and, in particular, it concerns improvements to such lids.
Issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,973,945 and pending U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0274734, both to the present inventor, describe different embodiments of a container lid that include a pumping configuration such that rotational movement of one component of the pump lid is translated into linear movement of either the piston element or the cylinder element of the pump lid. The intention of such a pump lid is that ambient air may be pumped into the container, thereby creating a pressurized state within the container. Alternatively, air may be pumped out of the interior volume of the container, thereby creating of state of at least partial vacuum within the container.
The present invention comes to provide certain improvement to these lids which reduce the overall size of the pump lid and simplify manufacture and assembly of the pump lid.
There is therefore a need for an improved pump lid for use on a container.